Internal-combustion engine.



c. A. SULLIVAN & 1. W. POTTER, INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLICATION IIILBD MARA, 1910.

1,011,875. Patented m1211911.

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UNIT* ED 'STATES PATENT oEEicE.

CHARLES A. SULLIVAN, F WINDSR, ONTARIO, CANADA, ANDl JAMES W. POTTER, 0F

DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOBS 0F ONE-FOURTH T0 EDWABP ONE-FOURTH Tc CHARLES I.. scxEEsoN, EoTr-ror nETEtoIT,` manieren.`- v

INTERNAL-constrain@ l ENGINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

i Patented Dec. 12, 191.1.

vApplication led latch 4, 1910. Serial No. 547,191.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES LIVAN and JAMES W; POTTER, citizens of the United States, residing at Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Internal- Combustion Engines, and declare the followingto be a full, clear, and'- exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had 'to the accompanying drawings, which form acts as a piston with respect to this cylinder,

'and is provided with piston rod connections to the crank shaft; this member is hollow and acts as a cylinder'with respect to an internal piston which -is provided with ;a rod connection to the same cran-k shaft. j In the drawings, 1 indicates the external cylinder provided with an intake passage 2 which opens into the first chamber 3 near that end of the) chamber which lie/s toward the shaft. This cylinder is bolted/or otherwise secured to a casing 4 that suv ports the bearings 5 of a shaft 6, and it 'is provided with suitable Water jacket casings 7 and with a transfer passage 8 leadingfrom chamber 3 through a by pass 9 to a port 10 that at times registers with a port- 11 in the intermediate member. It is also provided with 'an opening for a spark plug 12 properly located to register with the port 11 in the intermediate member at a time. when the crank is in proper position for an explosive impulse. ,The intermediate member 14 reciprocates in theexternal cylinder asa pist0n and is bored and arranged to actas a cylinder with respect to an internal piston 15. It is provided with-port 11, that serves' bothfor intake and for firing, and with exhaust port 16 that at the proper time regoflthe external cylinder. Withln the intermediate member 14 reciprocates a piston 15 to which is pivoted connecting crank rod 18l that engages with ya wrist pin 19 of the crank. The intermediate member is `proyvided With trunnions 20 from which crank rods 21 connect to wrist pins 22 on the shaft 6. An explosive mixture is drawn into the chamber 3 when the various.- parts are in the relation shown in Fig. 1 and fills that cham- 65 ber at atmos hericpressure. Themember 14 and the piston 15 next spread to the position shown in Fig. 2, the member 14 covers the intake port of passage 2, and the charge in the chamber 3 compressed during the first 70 part of the movement is transferred to the chamber 23 during the latter part of the movement through the by-pass 9, the port 11 of the intermediate member registering with thev port lO'of the by-pass. completion of the revolution the mixture now in the chamber 23 is compressed and the p parts take the position shown in Fig. 1, at which `time the charge is exploded; the

spark which produces the explosion is at the terminal of spark plug 12 Which engages through the walls of the outer.- cylinder, and vat the proper` time of movement of the several part-s the opening 11 of the intermedi= ate cylinder is properly located with reterv ence to the spark plug for the firing of the charge which is held in the chamber 23.

The outer cylinder is cooled by water which circulates through the hollow walls of this member and is introduced through the conducting pipe 24 into the cylinder and is drawm oil' through pipes 25. It has not been thought necessary to show either the supply tank or the discharge tank which may be` the same' tank; or to show the system of 95 check valves which would naturally be used.

What we claim is 1. An internal combustion engine, having in combination a lixed cylinder, a piston, a

member intermediate said cylinder and piston, arranged to act as a piston with respect to said fixed cylinder, and as a cylinder with respect to vsaid first-mentioned piston, a crank shaft, pitman connections betweensaid crank shaft and intermediatemember and-pistonv adapted to cause the same to alternately approach and separate, said fixed cylinder having a fuel inlet port unisters with a passage` 17 through the Walls 55 l At the v.75

-. inder to the chamber. of

, inder being provided the clearance space thereof, e

opening ada ted to register with the clear-- covered by said intermediate member near the limit of its outward stroke, a -by-pass 1n said fixed cylinder having an opening mto and' another ance space o the intermediate member when the intermediate member is reaching the limit of its compression stroke in the fixed cylinder, said by-pass adapted to transfer fuel through the chamber'of the fixed cylthe intermediate member, said intermediate member also provided with a port leading from its clearance space, and adapted to register with said last-mentioned opening of said by-pass, thereby establishing communication therethrough between said Xed cylinder and intermediate member, and a firing plug introduced through the walls of the-fixed cylinder, with which fthe said port of the intermediate`member is adapted to register When the piston and intermediate member are near their closest condition of approach, substantially as described. '2. An internal combustion engine, having in combination a fixed cylinder, a piston, a member intermediate said cylinder and piston, arranged to act as a piston with respect to said fixed cylinder, and as a cylinder with respect to said first-mentioned piston, a crank shaft, pitman connections between said crank shaft and intermediate member, pitman connections between said crank shaft and said piston, the same being arranged diametrically opposite each other with re spect to said crank shaft, the said xed cylwith a fuel inlet port uncovered by said intermediate member near the limit of its outward stroke, a by-pass in said fixed cylinder having an1 opening adapted to register with the clearance intermediate member when the same is reachin the limit of its compression .stroke in the Xed cylinder, said by-pass adapted to transfer fuel from the chamber of the fixed cylinder into the chamber of the intermediate member, the intermediate member having a port, leading from its clearance space, adapted to register with said opening space of the` of said byass and to establish communication theret rough between said fixed-cylinder and the intermediate member, and a firing lu introduced through the walls of the diret? cylinder, with whlch the said port of the intermediate member is adapted to vregistei when the piston and intermediate member are near their closest condition of approach, substantially as described.

3. An internal combustion engine, havin in combination a fixed cylinder, a cran shaft, a piston having pitman connections to said crank shaft, a member intermediate the cylinder and piston, adapted to act as a piston with respect to said fixed cylinder, and as a cylinder with respect to said piston, the said intermediate member being provided with a port leading from its clearance space, pitman connections from said intermediate member to said crank shaft, adapted, with said first-mentioned pitman connections to cause the piston and intermediate member to alternatelyapproach and separate, said fixed cylinder having a fuel inlet ort uncovered by the intermediate meml er near the limit of its outward stroke, a by-pass leading from the clearance space in the fixed cylinder through the walls and returning into the cylinder at a point adapted to register with the said port leading from the clearance space of the intermediate member when the same is near the end. of its compressionstroke in the fixed cylinder, said by-pass being adapted to transfer fuel from the chamberof the fixed cylinder into the chamber of the intermediate member, and an ignition device introduced through the Walls of said fixed cylinder, said port in the intermediate member, when the piston and intermediate member. are

near their closest condition of approach, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, We sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses. CHARLES A. SULLIVAN. JAMES W. POTTER. Witnesses CHARLES F. BURTON, VIRGINIA C. SPRATT.

and adapted to register withy 

